COVID-19: Samples tested at STNM Hospital, Sikkim, found negative

Gangtok: Sikkim has started testing people who are
returning from outside. Tests were conducted on the first batch of
people who entered the state from Siliguri in West Bengal, which is a
red zone. The first 20 tests were done at STNM hospital, the designated
COVID-19 facility in Sikkim. They testing using Truenat machines have
come out negative.

A
total of 32 samples were received by the designated COVID 19 hospital,
which is currently the centre for tests for urban areas in East and
North Sikkim districts. Up to 97 samples were sent to North Bengal
Medical College on May 12, with 57 being from rural East District centre
at Singtam district hospital under CMO East, along with 20 each from
West and South Sikkim.
State health director-general Dr Pempa
Tshering Bhutia on Tuesday highlighted how the tests are being
encouraged for those in quarantine after five days of arrival to the
State.

“Taking
the samples collectively from those in quarantine is becoming a concern
for us. Altogether 184 people had opted for quarantine on Monday upon
their arrival, cumulatively there are over 1,072 people in different
quarantine facilities as on Monday. Hence, we have devoted STNM as the
centre for testing of urban East quarantine facility patients along with
North District. While, from the rural East district, West and South
Districts, they are being sent to North Bengal Medical College and
Hosptial, Siliguri as they are in the proximity of reaching Siliguri
quicker with a police escort,” he said
The samples from STNM
Hospital and other district hospitals were collectively being sent to
NBMCH, with the embargo at the North Bengal Hospital for Sikkim samples
being 200 per day. But, for STNM Hospital now, the samples will be sent
only if they do not come as negative.

So far, of the 32 samples received at STNM Hospital, 20 have come as negative through TrueNat testing

“So
far, of the 32 samples received at STNM Hospital, 20 have come as
negative through Truenat testing. We have a capacity for 40 samples
testing in a day as we have five devices for Truenat testing with each
device taking at least an hour for testing and eight hours of devotion
can avail only about 40 samples in a day,” informed the director-general
saying that there are 1,440 Truenat testing kits in the State
currently. If there arises the requirement of more such kits, we can
collect these from Sikkim House Residential Commissioner in New Delhi,
he said.

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Sikkim has started testing people who are returning from outside. Tests were conducted on the first batch of people who entered the state from Siliguri in West Bengal, which is a red zone.